Easy Gluten Free Drop Sugar Cookie Recipe (2024)

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If you need easy gluten free drop sugar cookies, look no further! This gluten free drop sugar cookie recipe requires no rolling cookie dough, and no chilling. Ultra chewy gluten free drop sugar cookies will quickly become your go-to recipe!

Easy Gluten Free Drop Sugar Cookie Recipe (1)

How do you make Easy Gluten Free drop Sugar Cookies?

I'm famous for my gluten free sugar cookies.

They are cakey and lightly sweet (just like those Lofthouse cookies in the plastic clam-shells at the grocery store.)

These super easy, chewy cookies are like my frosted sugar cookies sparkly cousin. (Sparkly because of all the sugar they are rolled in.)

They have all of the same ingredients, but the ratios have changed slightly so that your gluten free drop sugar cookies will gently spread in the oven into chewy, sparkly rounds.

More sugar to butter equals a chewy gluten free drop sugar cookie with crisp edges.
Less flour equals an easy gluten free drop sugar cookie that will spread on its own (which means no rolling pin or chilling required. Hurrah!)

Perfect with a glass of milk, or get fancy and add some frosting on top.

How do you make gluten free drop sugar cookies from scratch?

This gluten free sugar drop cookie dough couldn't be easier!

It requires no chilling.

Simply mix the dough together, scoop into a small bowl of sugar, roll to coat, and place on your baking sheet.

What do you need to make gluten free sugar cookie dough?

To make gluten free drop sugar cookie dough you'll need:

Butter- You can use dairy-free/vegan butter or palm shortening, or you can use softened dairy butter.
White (Granulated) Sugar- I haven't tried many granulated sugar substitutes but I suspect they'll work fine.
Eggs- You can use regular chicken eggs, or an egg substitute. Bob's
Red Mill's Egg Replacer is my favorite, but it should also work with Ener-G or a flax egg.
Baking Soda- Helps your cookies to spread.
Xanthan gum- Replace the structure that gluten gives traditional cookie. If you are using a gluten-free flour blend that already has xanthan gum, go ahead and omit the xanthan gum the recipe calls for.
Vanilla extract- For flavor! You can also use lemon extract, almond extract, or any extract your heart desires for a different flavor twist.
Gluten Free Flour- I use my own gluten free flour blend, but another blend may work well.IF you are substituting a different gluten-free four, please read the section down below with essential tips for swapping gluten-free flours, they don't all work the same

To mix the dough, first you'll need butter and sugar.

Cream them together until fluffy and then beat in the egg.

(I like using my stand mixer or my electric handheld mixer, however you can make this dough using just a bowl, spoon, and a lot of elbow grease.)

Next, add the baking soda, xanthan gum, and vanilla and mix until combined.

I add these ingredients before the gluten free flour to ensure they get evenly distributed.

Last but not least, add the gluten free flour.

(Keep reading, I've got some important gluten free flour notes below that are crucial to your gluten free chewy drop sugar cookie success!)

Here come the sparkles!

Scoop your gluten free drop sugar cookie dough using a cookie scoop, and give it a quick dip in granulated sugar.

Or you can be super lazy, like I normally am.

Scoop your gluten free drop sugar cookie dough and drop it directly onto your cookie sheet, then sprinkle the top liberally with granulated sugar.

How do you measure gluten free flour?

When baking with gluten free flour is it essential to measure your gluten free flour very carefully.

Whisking your gluten free flour (or if it is in a container, give it a good shake.) This ensures the flour is well combined and it is aerated.
Carefully scoop your gluten free flour into a measuring cup USING A SPOON. Don't scoop the flour directly with the cup. You'll inadvertently get too much gluten free flour.
Level your measuring cup off with a knife, or using the handle of the spoon. I have some self-leveling measuring cups that I love. If I'm using them, I never forget to level off my gluten free flour.

What gluten free flour do you use for drop sugar cookies?

I tested this recipe with my gluten free flour blend.

You can certainly use another gluten free flour, but you may need a little less flour depending on the absorption rate.

I've discovered that both Bob's Red Mill's 1 to 1 gluten free flour and Ryze's Blue Bag Gluten Free Flour need a little less gluten free flour than what I use in my recipes.

You can always add more flour but you can't take it away.

So do yourself a favor and if you are using any gluten free flour than mine, start with 1 cup of gluten free flour.

Bake a single cookie to test how it spreads.If it comes out too thin and crispy, add more flour to get a thicker cookie.

Easy Gluten Free Drop Sugar Cookie Recipe (3)

How do you make gluten free drop sugar cookies vegan?

I've made this easy gluten free drop sugar cookie recipe vegan many times! All you need are a few easy substitutions and you'll be set.

What do you use instead of butter to make gluten free drop sugar cookies vegan?

Instead of the butter, use your favorite vegan butter or palm shortening.

I've found best results when I use half vegan butter and half palm shorting (take the total amount of butter and divide it in half and use that measurement for each).

The reason I like using half vegan butter and half palm shortening is that sometimes vegan butter can make the cookies have a "fake butter" taste.

The vegan butter can also melt too quickly, resulting in oily cookies.

The palm shortening melts slower, helping the cookie to spread not to much and not too little, but just the right amount.

The palm shortening is also unflavored, and when combined with the vegan butter I feel like I get the perfect taste.

What do you use instead of eggs to make gluten free drop sugar cookies vegan?

Now that the dairy is out of the way, you just need an egg substitute.

My go-to is a flax egg (for each egg, 1 tablespoon flax meal mixed with 3 tablespoons hot water and let sit for 5 minutes to gel) and I also really love Bob's Red Mill's Egg Replacer.

I haven't tested, but have heard great things about Ener-G Egg Replacer, and aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas).

Can I make sugar cookies without sugar?

Great question! This recipe may work with a sugar substitute, but I haven't tested any.

If you are looking for a low-sugar recipe, I'd recommend my friend Taylor's Low Sugar Healthy Sugar Cookies .

Want more cookie recipes like this one?

Check out my cookbook, Gluten-Free Cookies All Year Round, for more than 60 gluten-free & allergy friendly cookie recipes for every occasion.

Check it out!

📖 Recipe

Gluten Free Drop Sugar Cookies Recipe

Yield: 1 ½ dozen gluten free sugar cookies

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Easy gluten free sugar cookies with no chilling or rolling required! Easy drop cookies that make perfectly chewy gluten free sugar cookies.

Ingredients

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg and mix until smooth.
Add the vanilla extract, salt, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and gluten-free flour and mix until combined.
Scoop the dough using a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop, roll in additional sugar or colored sanding sugar, and place on the prepared baking sheet. You may also sprinkle each cookie with a little sugar instead of dipping or rolling each cookie dough ball.
Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Notes

If you like your sugar cookies thinner with golden crispy edges and a chewy center, decrease the flour to 1 cup.

I used Earth Balance as my vegan butter in this recipe. I have the best dairy free results using 4 tablespoons vegan butter with 2 tablespoons palm shortening. Or you can use 6 tablespoons of softened butter if you can do dairy.

Did you make this recipe?

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Easy Gluten Free Drop Sugar Cookie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep gluten-free cookies from falling apart? ›

Use a Binder

Binders like xanthan gum and guar gum provide structure in gluten-free baking to make up for the missing gluten. This prevents cookies from being too crumbly plus it also helps with freshness.

Find Out More ›

What can you substitute for flour in sugar cookies? ›

Almond flour and coconut flour: Almond flour and coconut flour are both gluten-free flours that happen to be grain free, lower in carbohydrates and higher in fiber compared to regular flour. Plus these two flours also have a nice sweetness to them, meaning we don't have to use as much sweetener.

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How do you get gluten-free cookies to stick together? ›

Remember: Xanthan Gum is Your Friend

It might sound scary, but xanthan gum is key for successful gluten-free baking. It helps bind together the ingredients, preventing your cookies from falling to pieces. Be careful to not use too much; no one likes gummy baked goods.

Explore More ›

What makes gluten-free cookies rise? ›

2 teaspoons of baking powder per cup of gluten-free flour is necessary to ensure proper leavening. Baking soda and buttermilk can be used to leaven instead of baking powder, but 1-1/8 teaspoon of cream of tartar should be added for each 1/2 teaspoon baking soda used.

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Should you refrigerate gluten free cookie dough before baking? ›

This is because cold dough is less sticky, and it doesn't spread as easily, too. If you're making a gluten-free cookie recipe that you don't want to spread too much (like crinkle cookies), make sure to chill the dough before baking it.

Should I add xanthan gum to gluten-free cookies? ›

Using xanthan gum helps provide some of the stickiness that gluten free goods lack, replacing some elasticity. Xanthan gum mimics some of gluten's most essential properties by sticking to flour and its moisture. This helps create moist goods that hold their shape after being baked.

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What happens if I use powdered sugar instead of regular sugar in cookies? ›

A. It is not recommended to substitute powdered sugar for granulated sugar. Since powdered sugar has a much finer texture, and it contains a small percentage of cornstarch to prevent caking, substituting can give you unexpected results.

Keep Reading ›

Can I use self-rising flour instead of all-purpose for sugar cookies? ›

However, a very small amount will help give the cookies a little rise so they're not too dense. All Purpose Flour - For many recipes, you can substitute self-rising flour with little other adjustments. However, for no-spread sugar cookies, you'll want to use just all purpose flour.

Read On ›

What happens if you don't add flour to cookies? ›

As a bonus, I did a little research to find out just what role each ingredient plays in chocolate chip cookies, so you can adjust your recipe however you feel like experimenting. Flour adds fluff and texture to the cookies. Adding too little flour can cause cookies to be flat, greasy, and crispy.

Learn More ›

What happens when you use gluten free flour in cookies? ›

Gluten-free flours often contain fine starches, so they absorb more liquid than conventional flour. To address this, gluten-free recipes usually call for more liquid and produce looser batters. They may also call for a larger quantity of leavening, like baking powder, to help add volume and lighten the texture.

Read The Full Story ›

What holds gluten-free cookies together? ›

As with gluten, this could stop a cookie from spreading too much as it bakes. So I've decided to try adding a hydrocolloid to my gluten-free dough. Some grocery stores sell xanthan gum and guar gum, especially if the stores have a gluten-free aisle. Many gluten-free recipes call for xanthan gum.

Learn More Now ›

Can I use gluten free flour instead of all purpose for cookies? ›

Flours like quinoa, rice, almond, coconut, or sorghum can also be the base for delicious baked goods but generally cannot be substituted one-for-one in recipes written for all-purpose flour. Instead, look for recipes that have been tested and call for these or other gluten-free flours outright.

Get More Info ›

What is the best flour for gluten-free cookies? ›

Oat Flour. With its creamy, earthy flavor and delicate texture, gluten-free oat flour is a staple of my gluten-free baking recipes. It bakes up soft and smooth, adding necessary starch to many GF baked goods and keeping them moist and tender due to its high fat content and stable protein structure.

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Which gluten-free flour works best in cookies? ›

Almond flour is a grain-free, protein-rich flour that lends well to cookies, cakes, and more! Almond flour is made from blanched almonds, meaning without skins (as opposed to almond meal, which is made from raw almonds with skins). This is why it has a fluffy, light texture and pale golden color.

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What to avoid for gluten-free baking? ›

Some baking ingredients that contain gluten (and thus are not suitable for a gluten-free diet) include:

Wheat.
Semolina.
Spelt.
Durum.
Emmer.
Einkorn.
Rye, sometimes referred to as pumpernickel.
Barley.

More items...

Mar 29, 2021

How do you make gluten-free cookies less dry and crumbly? ›

Add extra liquid: Gluten-free flours tend to absorb more liquid than regular flour, so you may need to add more liquid to your recipes to compensate. This can help to keep your baked goods moist and prevent them from becoming dry and crumbly.